Summer Events @ RHS Garden Wisley

Sporti-culture – Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July11am – 3pm

Wellies at the ready…Get the summer holidays off to a flying start and join in the excitement at the Wisley Summer Sports Weekend.
Challenge your family to a range of fun track and field events including welly wanging, garden sack races and tossing the turnip.

The Great Victorian Plant Expedition – 1st to 31st AugustThroughout August, there will be a Victorian theme at RHS Wisley

They will tour the gardens, enjoy some leisurely garden pursuits and offer Victorian gardening advice.

Children will be able to collect fallen petals and leaves and make crowns to celebrate the arrival of the Queen.

Weekend 8th/9th August

Visitors can meet some of the famous Victorian Plant Hunters as they tell stories of their exciting adventures around the garden.

Weekend 15th/16th August

Witness an informal visit from Queen Victoria and her entourage.

They will tour the gardens, enjoy some leisurely garden pursuits and offer Victorian gardening advice.

Children will be able to collect fallen petals and leaves and make crowns to celebrate the arrival of the Queen.

Weekend 22nd/23rd August

Visitors can meet some of the famous Victorian Plant Hunters as they tell stories of their exciting adventures around the garden.

Plant Hunting Adventure Weekend 29th to 31st August

The month will end with a pirate spectacular. Visiting families will be presented with a treasure map trail that leads them in the footsteps of one of the great plant hunters.

They will have to follow the map to collect clues by finding certain items, taking part in survival activities, making eye patches, navigating the maize maze (and beating the pirates), walking the plank, all to lead them to the end of their voyage – their plant treasure (which they can pot up and take home).

The Maize Maze

Victorian times return at Wilsey

August marks the return of a 65m x 65m Maize Maze, complete with pirate ship and tropical planting, a grass maze, garden trails, a whole host of Victorian-themed daily activities and costumed actors roaming the garden as the great plant hunters of the 1800s.

Parents needn’t worry about the activities breaking the bank either

Victorian Grass Maze

Race around our freshly mown Grass Maze, which is based on a historic RHS maze that featured in our RHS South Kensington gardens in 19th Century.

It was commissioned by Prince Albert (one of our many illustrious RHS presidents) and constructed in 1862.

Wild at Wisley

Get up close to nature in our new area of natural play located in the Arboretum. ‘

Wild at Wisley’ features pathways through wildflower meadows, stepping logs to balance on, tree stumps to jump between, a bark-chipping pit and a snail-shaped grass maze to race a sibling or friend around.

Remember that kids are free in August

In summary

1, 2 Aug

Victorian Wisley – Practise your curtsey – Queen Victoria herself will be conducting a Royal tour of the Garden as well as enjoying some leisurely garden games.

Children can also make a crown from fallen petals and leaves to celebrate the visit.

11am – 4pm

3

Victorian Craft Activities

Clore Learning Centre, 10.30 – 4pm

Make bonnets, peg-dolls, paper windmills or tussie-mussies.

4

Punch and Judy Show

Seven Acres

11am, 1pm & 3pm

A traditional Victorian puppet show.

5

Visit Victorian Wisley

Various locations

Meet the Victorian gardeners as they go about their duties in their own unique way. 11am – 4pm

6

Victorian Garden Games

Seven Acres

Have fun playing croquet, hopscotch and skittles as a family

7

Be a Victorian Garden Designer

Clore Learning Centre

10.30am – 4pm

Sow seeds to create a mini carpet bedding design

8, 9 Aug

Meet the Plant Hunters

Various locations around the Garden

Listen to exciting tales of adventure bought to life by famous Victorian plant hunters.

Storytelling will be at 10.45am – 12.45pm and 2.15pm – 3.15pm at special plants around the garden, or outside the Glasshouse at 12.30pm and 3.30pm.

10

Victorian Craft Activities

Clore Learning Centre,

As above

11

Storytelling with Sudha

Pinetum

12 noon, 1pm & 2pm

12

Visit Victorian Wisley

Various locations

As above

13

Victorian Garden Games

Seven Acres

As above

14

Be a Victorian Garden Designer

Clore Learning Centre

As above

15 16

Visit Victorian Wisley

Various locations around the Garden

As above

17

Victorian Craft Activities

Clore Learning Centre,

As above

18

Punch and Judy Show

Seven Acres

11am, 1pm & 3pm

As above

19

Visit Victorian Wisley

Various locations

As above

20

Victorian Garden Games

Seven Acres

As above

21

Be a Victorian Garden Designer

Clore Learning Centre

As above

22 23

Meet the Plant Hunters

Various locations around the Garden

As above

24

Victorian Craft Activities

Clore Learning Centre,

As above

25

Storytelling with Sudha

Pinetum

12 noon, 1pm & 2pm

26

Visit Victorian Wisley

Various locations

As above

27

Victorian Garden Games

Seven Acres

As above

28

Be a Victorian Garden Designer

Clore Learning Centre

As above

29 – Monday 31 (August Bank Holiday)

Plant Hunting Adventure Weekend

Various locations around the garden

Follow in the footsteps of famous plant hunters and take the adventure trail around the garden.